


The Trouble With Tribbles

by MrsHamill



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: First Time, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Pet fic, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-15
Updated: 2006-05-15
Packaged: 2018-05-21 09:47:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6047080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsHamill/pseuds/MrsHamill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She followed me home, can I keep her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Trouble With Tribbles

**Author's Note:**

> This absurd little piece of schmoopy fluff has been written for Nansi, because she's a good friend and I love her. Thank you to Linaerys for the beta.

Just another normal day in the life of the prime Atlantis stargate team, running for their lives back to the 'gate while the technologically primitive but really-good-with-machine-guns natives tried to have them for lunch. 

"I thought you said they were primitives!" Sheppard yelled to Teyla over the crash of semi-automatic weapons fire. They had taken cover by the large stone ruins that, of course, ringed the stargate.

"It was my belief they were!" Teyla yelled back. "I do not know why they are firing at us!"

"Those are Genii weapons!" Ronon bellowed as he sprayed the trees with his P90.

"Oh, great!" Sheppard yelled back. "Just what we needed!"

Rodney, who had been cowering behind the rock nearest the gate, yelled, "Could we maybe have less yelling and more running?"

"Fine!" Sheppard yelled. He took a grenade from his vest, pulled it and heaved it in the general direction of the worst of the fire. It exploded and there was a gratifying amount of screaming and crashing through trees and underbrush as their assailants fled.

The silence was almost deafening. After a few minutes of it, Sheppard cautiously peered out from behind his cover. "Are they gone?"

Ronon popped up and scanned the woods. "Looks like it."

"Great. Quick recon, then home. Looks like the primitive natives of P9Y-GM7 have joined the Genii." Sheppard stood and scanned the woods carefully.

"Or thought we were Genii," Teyla said, equally cautious. "I did not get a chance to even hail them."

"And they know you, right?" Sheppard replied, and immediately they were off, discussing the natives and the Genii and various conspiracy theories that Rodney couldn't care less about. 

When he stood, it was with even more caution than the others of his team. When no one seemed interested in shooting at him, he pulled out his tablet with a sigh and began running quick scans. The sooner they were off this planet, the better he'd feel.

There were a couple of interesting readings near where the grenade had exploded, and he had to be certain they weren't residual energy spikes. Sheppard and Teyla were still deep in discussion, but Ronon nodded when Rodney glanced at him. "Good," Rodney said. "Just a quick scan. I don't think we've got anything of interest here."

Ronon grunted. A lot of people found Ronon hard to be around since he seemed barely interested in stringing more than two words together at a time, but Rodney found his silence helpful. He didn't ask stupid questions and never tried to upstage Rodney. And he was good with a weapon.

Most of the energy readings were residual. He found a possible vein of naquadah but it was deep and probably not worth fighting over. The life signs indicator indicated an area literally teeming with life, most of it animal. Teyla had said there was good hunting here, and he believed her.

"McKay! Ronon!" Sheppard yelled from the gate which had gotten a bit further behind him than Rodney'd thought. Nodding, Rodney turned and made his way back to the DHD, leaving Ronon to bring up his six. Rodney took a deep breath and rolled his eyes -- when had that damned incomprehensible military jargon become a second language?

A rustle at his feet and a strange squeaking noise made him stumble and nearly fall. Ronon was right there, propping him up and Rodney offered a distracted "Thank you," while he directed his sight down. "What the hell?" 

There was a small something, red and wet, at his feet, making a familiar noise. Rodney crouched and breathed in harshly. "Where did you come from?" he said, stretching his hand out to the tiny creature. "You're covered in blood! Where's your mommy, little guy?" It looked like a tiny kitten, a bit bigger than his hand, ears barely open, eyes mere slits.

"McKay!" Sheppard was getting impatient, as was Ronon.

"He's found something," Ronon yelled and Sheppard jogged over to them.

"McKay, c'mon, we've got to get out of here before those primitives come back with their primitive machine guns," Sheppard said, scanning the woods behind them.

"Yes, yes, fine, give me your jacket, would you?" What a time to opt out of wearing a jacket. He had to wrap his little guy in something.

"What?"

Rodney stood, bringing the tiny creature with him, cradled in his hands. It was shivering. "I don't think any of this blood is his, I bet it belongs mostly to the mom who was probably blown up when the grenade went off." He looked reproachfully at Sheppard.

"What the hell are you doing, McKay? I am not giving you my jacket!"

"Fine. Teyla! Can I have your jacket?"

"You can't go carrying off-world animals back to Atlantis!" Sheppard followed Rodney as he stalked back to the 'gate.

Teyla met him halfway, already out of her jacket. "What do you need -- oh!"

"I think the mom got blown up but I'm pretty sure he's not injured." A wobbly little head rose and looked at Teyla. It made a weak 'meep!' sound. "But he needs some care."

Teyla helped Rodney wrap the tiny thing in her jacket, crooning nonsense at it. Sheppard and Ronon just stared at them.

"You've both gone completely bananas," Sheppard said. He punched in the gate with more force than was strictly necessary. "Let's just get the hell off this damn planet."

Teyla helped Rodney cradle his passenger as they moved through the 'gate. Sheppard had already radioed ahead about the ambush, so they were met by Elizabeth and a security detail. "Let's go up and discuss this," Elizabeth said immediately, and Rodney followed his team up the stairs.

"Elizabeth, I really need to get to the infirmary first," Rodney said, pausing on the stairs. 

She turned, alarm in her eyes. "Are you injured? John, you didn't say there was anyone wounded!"

"That's because no one is," Sheppard said, glaring at Rodney. "Though try to explain that to Marlin Perkins, here."

"What?" 

As soon as Elizabeth spoke, the tiny kitten in Rodney's arms said, "Meep!"

"Oh, my God." Elizabeth's eyes widened as she took in Rodney's guest. "What is it?"

"I believe it may be a lesser genet, though I have never seen one so small," Teyla said. "Dr. McKay found it on the planet."

"It's a wild animal who could be carrying the Pegasus equivalent of rabies!" Sheppard said testily. "And we've got larger problems here, people, like primitive people carrying Genii weaponry?"

"What is rabies?" Teyla asked.

"For the love of God, Colonel, it doesn't have rabies. He's close to being a newborn, his eyes might not have been open for even a day. And we killed his mom so we're responsible for it."

"McKay... I--"

"The briefing can wait a bit. Rodney, you and Teyla take your friend to the infirmary and have Carson scan it, to make sure it's not carrying anything dangerous," Elizabeth said firmly. Her fingers were twitching as if she wanted to pet it. "Then come back and let's talk about what happened on the planet."

Sheppard rolled his eyes but Rodney merely gave him a smug look and took off with Teyla in tow.

Carson did not prove to be immune to the kitten's charms. "Oh! It's so tiny!"

"We accidentally killed his mom, Carson. Can you do anything for him?" The kitten was beginning to shake harder and Rodney tried to comfort it.

"I'm not a veterinarian, Rodney," Carson said. "But Jeff Danziger is our new xenobiologist. Let's get our wee one here cleaned up and I'll have him stop by."

By the time Carson got some distilled water warm and began carefully sluicing the blood from the kitten, nearly everyone on duty in the infirmary had gathered around the metal basin. Every tiny "meep!" the kitten uttered was met with soft cries and 'aww'-ing. Rodney only had eyes for his little friend, who kept trying to lick him as his mother's blood was rinsed off.

"Carson? What's going on?" Rodney turned and saw a man wading through the crowd. It was someone he barely recognized as working under Carson, a newbie from the Daedalus. The man was about Rodney's height but lean and strong-looking, and had blond hair over a bronzed, weather-beaten face.

"Jeff, thank you for coming. Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, this is Dr. Jeff Danziger. Rodney found this wee lad on one of the planets we've been exploring."

The crowd made way for him and he drew in a breath as he saw the kitten. "Good lord, what is it?"

"I believe it is a lesser genet," Teyla, who had stayed by Rodney, said. "Dr. McKay believes he is a newborn."

"His ears aren't even all the way open yet," Rodney said. "I've fostered newborn kittens and know what they look like."

"But this is probably not a cat, Dr. McKay," Danziger said. By the time he reached the baby, all the blood had been removed and his short, velvety fur turned out to be golden with dark spots and stripes. "Do you have a warm towel, Carson?"

"Aye, lad, here," Carson replied, and Danziger wrapped the kitten in a small towel. 

"Let's have a look at you, precious," Danziger said. Rodney frowned; his arms already missed holding the kitten. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed his cat until he heard the kitten's voice. The crowd around them dispersed, slowly.

Danziger certainly seemed to be knowledgeable. He gently dried the baby while looking him over. "Nope, not a cat at all. And not a boy, either."

"Huh?" 

"He's a she, Dr. McKay. And she's a marsupial as well."

Teyla was looking between them. "What is a marsupial?"

"It's a mammal which raises its young in a pouch, hidden in the mother's... uh... abdomen," Danziger replied. He looked up at Teyla as he began to speak and then did a double-take, stuttering the last words. He was still cradling the kitten, stroking it gently when he found his voice again. "Marsupials have no mammary glands except inside the pouch. The baby crawls into the pouch at birth, latches on to a teat, and begins to grow. Once it's large enough, it begins leaving the pouch for small amounts of time until it's weaned." The kitten looked up into Rodney's face and meeped again. "While this little girl looks like a cat on the outside, underneath I'd say she's probably more like Tasmanian devil or a Tasmanian wolf than your standard pet tabby."

"A pet? I do not understand," Teyla said, looking at Rodney.

"You know, a pet. A companion animal." When Teyla still looked confused at Rodney's explanation, he exchanged a puzzled look with Carson. "Don't the Athosians have pets?"

"They don't, actually," Danziger said. He gently passed the kitten, still wrapped in her towel, back to Rodney and she meeped again. "There are damn few canids in Pegasus and I haven't seen any felines at all, aside from this little beauty. She kind of looks like a Bengal cat, doesn't she?"

"Wow, you're really missing out then," Rodney said to Teyla, gently rubbing the top of the kitten's head. "No dogs? Horses? Animals that work for humans?"

"The Manerians have large beasts of burden which they ride upon, is that what you refer to?"

"Kind of. A pet is just..." Rodney would have liked to have gestured but he couldn't, his arms were full of warm, needy kitten. "A pet is an animal who lives with you, who loves you exclusively, despite any shortcomings you may have, despite who you may be. You take care of it, it loves you back." Rodney smiled at the kitten who meeped at him softly. "Unconditional love, the rarest of all things. That's everything a pet is."

"We need to get some food into her," Danziger said after a moment. Rodney looked up to find Teyla looking at him with a puzzled expression and Carson staring at him with an oddly stricken look on his face. "And we need a blood sample to check for anything infectious. Carson, I need your smallest syringe for the blood test and another for feeding, but break off the needle first."

"Aye, I can do that, but we've got no baby formula here."

"No KMR formula either. But that's okay. We've got other things that will substitute." Danziger gently stroked the kitten's back. "Hang in there, pretty girl, I'll get something for you."

Get something Danziger did, in a remarkably short time. By the time the kitten was completely dry, he was back with a container of thick, bluish-white liquid in a thermal flask. While he took a blood sample, Carson began loading the broken syringe with formula. 

"This should do it for her, I think. Give her a few drops at a time to see how she takes it," Danziger instructed Rodney. "Let me know immediately if she appears to be in any distress. She's so very young, though now that I say that, I realize she might not be. If she were a Tasmanian devil kit, she'd be about half grown. How did you find her?"

"We were pinned down by weapons' fire. Major Sheppard tossed a grenade at them to get them to go away so we could get back to the stargate. I think the grenade must have hit mom."

"Ouch, poor baby. That was probably why she was covered in blood; the grenade must have thrown her clear of the pouch. She's a lucky girl." Danziger smiled at Rodney who smiled back. Danziger wasn't all that bad -- anyone who liked cats wouldn't be, as far as Rodney was concerned. "She's going to be a handful, you know. She's a marsupial and is going to want to be in a pouch near you all the time. Give me a bit and I'll make up something to hang around your neck that'll feel like a pouch for her. Until then, the towel will have to do. You know you'll have to feed her every couple of hours for a while, and rub her belly after?"

"Yeah, I've done this before. She's about the youngest I've ever had, though." Rodney took the loaded syringe from Carson and touched it to the kitten's mouth, leaving a drop of fluid behind. She looked stunned and confused for a moment, then licked her chops and tasted the formula. Her meep was decidedly demanding after that and everyone chuckled. Rodney started gently feeding her drops of formula and she began eagerly lapping them up. "Not so fast, little girl," Rodney admonished gently. "We've got to watch your tummy."

"You've got her well under control, Dr. McKay. I'll do the blood analysis and let you know if there's anything to worry about."

Rodney looked up and smiled at Danziger. "Thank you. And call me Rodney," he said.

Danziger smiled back. "I'm Jeff. Call me if you need me."

"Thank you, Jeff." At least there were _some_ decent people in Atlantis.

* * *

Rodney and Teyla made their way from the infirmary to the conference room, walking slowly so Rodney could watch his kitten. Teyla was utterly fascinated by the animal, and apparently by Rodney's level of care for it. "I have never seen you so attentive to anyone or anything before, Rodney," she said, keeping up with his slow pace. "Except perhaps for some machinery."

Rodney shrugged. "I've always had a soft spot for cats. I have a cat, I mean, I had a cat. On Earth."

"You could not bring it with you?"

"No, though that would have been great. But no." The tiny baby, upset she wasn't getting any new food, meeped plaintively. "Just a minute, princess. I suppose I'm going to have to find a name for you, won't I?"

Teyla shook her head. "A name? You intend to... keep it?"

"Her. Yes, I suppose I do. At least until she's old enough to live on her own." He glanced at Teyla. "How big do these creatures get, anyway?"

"I have only seen their pelts on display, but they are close to the size of a small man, and heavier."

"Wow. That's big." He looked down at his kitten. "No, she'll probably have to be set loose then, when she's older." He sighed.

"In the language of the Ancestors," Teyla said, slowly, "the word _na'ansii_ means 'beloved small one.' Would that be a suitable... name, for her?"

Rodney stopped and looked at Teyla, utterly delighted. "That's perfect. Thank you Teyla!" As he spoke, they entered the briefing room.

"You are most welcome, Rodney."

"Thank you for what?" Sheppard drawled. He was slumped in the chair a few seats away from Elizabeth. Ronon was opposite him, and Rodney and Teyla sat together between them. 

"For her name. Na'ansii. It's perfect, don't you think?"

Elizabeth gave Rodney one of her slow smiles. "A name, Dr. McKay? For your new friend? Doesn't that mean 'little beloved' in Ancient?"

"Yes." Na'ansii meeped as Rodney settled her on the conference table in front of him. "Okay, okay, you bottomless pit. Here's some more." He smeared another drop of formula on her mouth, smiling as she eagerly licked it off.

"McKay." Rodney looked up as Sheppard spoke. "What the hell are you doing? You can't be expecting to bring your tribble with you everywhere you go. And I'm not sure it's safe to have brought that thing to Atlantis in the first place."

"She's not a tribble, she's a lesser genet, at least according to Teyla. And she's a marsupial and we killed her mother. So yes, I'll be taking care of her until she can fend for herself." Rodney tried not to sound petulant. He and Sheppard had been at odds for weeks now, following the debacle at Doranda, and it had been causing Rodney no end of pain. He hated being considered untrustworthy by the one man whose trust and friendship he prized above all others. But he would not back down on this. "Jeff Danziger took a blood sample, he made up the formula for her too. If there's something wrong with Na'ansii, he'll let us know."

"Elizabeth," Sheppard said. He was still frowning at Rodney. "A _pet_? I don't think--"

"You let Sheppard keep Ronon," Rodney blurted out before thinking.

"You did not just say--" Sheppard said, incredulously. Ronon burst out laughing, which scared Na'ansii.

Rodney was mortified. "I mean..."

"The damage has been done, Rodney," Elizabeth said with a chuckle. "Don't worry. As long as it's safe and healthy, I don't see why you shouldn't foster it. You'll have to release it back into the wild, though, when it's old enough."

"I know, Teyla said they get pretty big." He smiled down at Na'ansii, who meeped. "Besides, I've always had a soft spot for blondes."

"All right, let's talk about what happened on this planet." Rodney kept one ear on the conversation but most of his concentration was on feeding Na'ansii, who seemed to be taking to the formula very well. He was careful to give her only a small amount at a time, but she was a very small animal and soon filled herself up. With a burp, her eyes closed and her head dropped to the towel.

Rodney began gently massaging Na'ansii's tummy as Teyla spoke. "I agree, having the Garyans as trading partners for food would be of benefit to Atlantis. If I could only speak to them safely, find out why they attacked us. Perhaps turn them against the Genii."

"Wait, wait," Rodney said. Na'ansii started snoring lightly so he stopped rubbing her tummy for a moment. "If you could talk to them in person, you could find out why they attacked us?"

"That's the general idea, McKay," Sheppard said. He was obviously still grumpy about Rodney's pet. "But they attacked us without provocation so I'm not really keen to let Teyla walk into their village alone."

"No, I got that. What if Teyla could talk to them safely, unarmed?"

"What do you mean, Rodney?" Elizabeth asked.

"Radek has been working on a way to link the Ancient's holographic technology into our communications array. He hasn't gotten very far because it's not a real big priority. But if we could send a three-d picture of Teyla into the Garyans' village, would that work?"

Sheppard blinked, as did Elizabeth. Teyla said, "Holographic? Like a picture without substance, yes?"

"Yes, you've seen the star map. It would look like you, you could see where your image would be, but if they attacked you, they wouldn't be able to hurt you." Rodney looked from Teyla to Elizabeth, who was nodding slowly. 

"Yes, I think that would work," Elizabeth said, looking to Sheppard. "And it would be very useful, besides. What do you think, John?"

"If they can get it to work, sure." Sheppard straightened in his chair but didn't look at Rodney. "How long?"

"I don't know, I don't know how far Radek is on the project. Let me talk to him, and I'll let you know."

"Sounds like a plan, Rodney." Elizabeth nodded. "Now, before you go, I need to meet a little baby, I think."

Sheppard rolled his eyes. Ronon snorted, rose and left the room, but Teyla stayed next to Rodney. "Is she asleep?" Teyla asked, looking into the nest of towel.

"Yes, I filled her tummy and she just passed right out," Rodney said. He knew he probably had a dopy smile on his face but he found he didn't care. "Meet Na'ansii, Elizabeth."

"She's beautiful," Elizabeth said, lightly caressing Na'ansii with one finger. Na'ansii sighed in her sleep. "She looks like a Bengal, doesn't she?"

"That's what Jeff said. I've never owned a Bengal cat." Rodney beamed. "Are you a cat person, Elizabeth?"

"Cat, dog, bunny, ferret, bird, rat, snake, iguana, hamster... I've had 'em all over the years. I guess I'm just a pet-person."

"The Athosians don't have pets," Rodney told Elizabeth in outrage. Elizabeth looked to Teyla. 

"No," Teyla said, "Dr. McKay had to explain the concept to me. I admit I find it strange, but oddly appealing." She smiled down at little Na'ansii.

"Having a pet is a wonderful thing," Elizabeth said. 

"Not on a military base in hostile territory," Sheppard said from across the table. He was using his best flat voice.

Rodney didn't have to answer him, Elizabeth did. "I take exception to that, Colonel," she said with a grin. "I think it would be beneficial to have pets in Atlantis." She sighed. "Well, no, not right now. But maybe in the future, once we get things settled down."

"My point." Sheppard stood to leave as Major Lorne came into the room. 

Gathering up Na'ansii, Rodney also stood. "I will come with you to your quarters, Dr. McKay," Teyla offered. "Help you with her food and perhaps get you settled."

"Thank you, Teyla."

As they passed him, Lorne did a credible double-take. "What the hell is that?"

Sheppard rolled his eyes. "What, that? That, my friend, is one of the rarest animals in the Pegasus galaxy, the Na'ansii. It's the Pegasus version of a Gremlin -- it can eat twice its weight in twinkies and don't leave chocolate unattended beside it after midnight or it'll change into Colonel Caldwell."

Rodney gave them both a withering glare as he walked carefully out. "If you'll excuse me, I need to see to my charge."

* * *

To his surprise, Rodney found himself the most popular person in Atlantis by that evening. He checked in at his lab to speak with Radek and found that nearly everyone there knew about Na'ansii and wanted to see her, including Radek. She woke up as he was discussing the holography project and he found he had to train Radek and half his staff on how to feed her. 

The holography project was further behind than he had thought, so he told Radek to put it on a front burner. He was going to take a look at all the specs but decided, once Na'ansii was done eating, that he'd just leave it to Radek to complete. It wouldn't be more than a couple of weeks, tops, which is what he told Elizabeth, and she was happy with that.

At dinner in the mess, he ran into Jeff Danziger who had what looked like a small, soft fabric messenger bag. It could be slung over Rodney's right shoulder which meant the pouch would be over his heart. "She'll likely pick up on it," Jeff said, helping him get it situated. "Has she voided yet?"

"No, not yet," Rodney replied, distracted. "Should she have?"

"I'm not sure..." Jeff replied. "Let me palpate her tummy a bit. With a kitten, I'd say yes. But she's a carnivorous marsupial and I have no idea what's normal for inside a pouch."

Na'ansii woke up as he took her from her towel nest and meeped crossly. He chuckled. "Sorry about this, your highness, but we need to make sure we're doing right by you."

"Teyla named her," Rodney said. "Na'ansii. It's Ancient and it means 'beloved little one.' She's really taken with Na'ansii."

"Teyla is Athosian, isn't she?" Jeff said with a careful carelessness even Rodney picked up on.

"Yeah. Why? You interested?" Rodney grinned as Jeff squirmed.

"I... Just... Well..." Jeff chuckled. "I'm much better with animals than people. Is she seeing anyone?"

"No, not that I know of. Ask her. She's a terrific lady. Speaking of ladies..."

"I will. Thanks, Rodney. It's kind of hard coming into a place where everyone has already been established." Jeff smiled and put Na'ansii in the pouch Rodney was wearing. "And our little princess here seems fine. It's possible she won't need to void as frequently as a regular kitten. From some reading I did this afternoon, I know that opossum kits and joeys have a much better digestive system which means they don't void at all, or very little. But I'm not a marsupial specialist, so we're going to have to wing it here."

"It would make sense, so they don't poison the nest," Rodney said, nodding. Na'ansii seemed to like her new home because she promptly curled up and went to sleep. "Well, at least I can eat my dinner in peace. Join me?"

"Sure! Thanks."

Rodney and Jeff had an enjoyable time, though Rodney didn't get to eat his dinner completely in peace. At least every couple of minutes someone would come in and want to see Na'ansii to coo and aww over. He had several offers of help with her as well, from both women and men. Jeff also offered to care for Na'ansii if needed.

The whole thing made Rodney feel more relaxed than he'd been... since before he'd come to Atlantis. With little Na'ansii curled up over his heart, he felt needed _and_ loved, for a change. It was a good feeling.

* * *

It wasn't that John Sheppard was petty. And he liked animals too: he'd had two dogs while growing up and also stayed some summers with an uncle and aunt who lived on a farm. But it was absurd the way Rodney was doting on the animal he'd brought back from P9Y-GM7. The man was ranking scientist on Atlantis and didn't need distractions other than those he created for himself.

He said as much to Elizabeth and she took him to task for it. "I've got the report from Carson and our new xenobiologist, Jeff Danziger. Na'ansii is healthy and fine. Why are you so bent out of shape on this, John?"

"I'm not! It's just... He's... he's got responsibilities. He's on my team and I can't take him and that damn animal on a mission."

"We don't have any missions planned for at least two weeks, John. We need to keep a low profile, remember?" She watched him as he paced back and forth in front of her desk. "This goes beyond that, though, doesn't it?"

He could never keep secrets from her; he should have learned by now not to try. "I don't know what you mean."

"You and Rodney have lost your former working relationship, ever since Doranda. You don't hang out together watching movies any more, you don't squabble over what's better, football or hockey, I know you haven't been in any of the labs for over a month and Rodney hasn't been to the range for shooting practice." John knew if he looked at her, she'd be wearing that look that said she had him figured out. So he didn't look at her. "I think this is something you need to fix, Colonel."

"It's fine. There's nothing to fix."

"Uh-huh."

John forced himself to stop pacing, though he still wouldn't look at her. "Okay, so maybe we're a little strained. It's nothing important. And if this animal causes friction in my team..."

"I don't think she will. But if so, we'll deal with it then." John sighed, but it seemed she wasn't quite done yet. "He feels awful about what happened," she said softly. "Still. Don't let this continue to come between you."

So he grunted an acceptance and left, only to find Rodney McKay holding court in the mess hall across from a blond bombshell of a guy who looked to be doting on his every word. Rodney wore a soft blue bag thing which obviously held the animal. John left after getting a quick sandwich, telling himself he wanted to eat in peace and quiet.

Damn Elizabeth anyway. Had she been taking instruction from Heightmeyer or something? Because John found himself thinking about Rodney the whole evening. Their relationship had been strained and it had mostly been his fault. But dammit, McKay was an arrogant, self-involved son of a bitch and he had been _wrong_ and had blown up a freaking _solar system,_ not to mention nearly blowing up both of them and the Daedalus to boot. It wasn't something you could get over easily. Rodney had asked for his trust, his specifically, and then had proceeded to violate it.

The next day was the closest Atlantis came to a 'rest day', not that everyone took it off. John thought about getting up early, grabbing Ronon and running around the city until he passed out. Or seeking out Teyla and having her beat him black and blue. Instead, though, he just slept in (or rather, stayed in bed after he woke at his usual oh-six-hundred) and wandered to the mess hall for a late breakfast. He assumed no one would be there and it was empty for the first ten minutes. Then Rodney came in, looking like hell warmed over.

He still had that blue bag-thing hanging from his neck and there were dark circles under his eyes. He poured himself some coffee and grabbed a bagel before sitting at one of the tables. John didn't even think he'd been seen by Rodney and debated staying where he was. With a sigh, he stood and carried his yogurt and granola and juice to Rodney's table.

He'd been right -- Rodney started in surprise when John sat down opposite him. "You look like shit, McKay," John said as an opener.

He was expecting a cutting retort and was surprised when none came. "Yeah, well, being up all night will do that to you. She had some trouble with the formula last night. I was afraid I was going to lose her."

"Your... tribble."

"She's not a tribble." Rodney didn't even rise to the bait. "It was touch and go there for a while, but Jeff managed to help pull her through. She's sleeping now which means I can get some food into me."

This made no sense; it didn't compute with the Rodney McKay John had in his head. "Why are you doing this, McKay?" He asked. "I don't get it."

"Why am I doing what, caring for Na'ansii?" Rodney gave him a look that plainly said he was short a few brain cells. "Because she needs me, why else? We killed her mom. That makes us responsible for her. What should I have done, left her there to die?"

"It's just an animal." John realized he'd never seen Rodney so passionate about anything living before.

"She's more than just an animal. She's a baby. Look. You said you don't leave men behind. Well, I can't leave a baby behind, of any species." He paused and frowned. "Actually, amend that. I can think of a few human babies I'd leave behind with no problem at all, starting with my nephew. Anyway. Didn't you have a pet when you were a kid? A cat or something?"

"I'm more a dog person, and yeah, I had a couple of dogs." Rodney rolled his eyes and John found himself suddenly defensive. "There's nothing wrong with dogs!"

"No, there isn't, I like dogs." Once again, Rodney stopped abruptly and frowned. The guy was always going off on tangents and it often drove John nuts. "Well, except for those horrible little yapping ones that look like a big rat."

John shuddered. "Aunt Margaret. She had a chihuahua. Vicious, noisy little bastard. So yeah, I'm with you on that one. But what's wrong with dogs?"

"Nothing! But in a toss-up between a dog and a cat... I'd much rather have a cat."

"Cats are cold-hearted jerks. They don't love you like a dog does."

Rodney gave him that look that John really hated, the one that said 'I pity you, you developmentally stunted Neanderthal.' "You are so wrong you're not even in the same galaxy. Look. A dog wants you to entertain it. It wants you to play, to go for walks, it's always asking you what it should do because it has no imagination. You beat a dog and it'll keep coming back to you because that's what they do. But a cat... beat a cat and it's gone, sayonara, sucker. A cat will entertain itself and if you want to join in the fun, that's great. So if a cat loves you..." He was interrupted by a soft 'meep!' from the bag and he looked down, smiling in a way John had never seen him smile before. It was a soft, loving smile and it completely transformed his face. "If a cat loves you, then you're really worthy of love because they won't love just anyone. If a cat loves you, you know you must be special, at least to it," he finished, in a gentle voice.

John sat back, stunned. He watched as Rodney gently extricated the cat thing sufficiently to give it some formula from a tiny syringe, talking to it softly and encouragingly as he did. Rodney was in his own little world, tenderly caring for an animal he had no ties to, and it completely blew John's mind. This was most definitely not the Rodney McKay he was used to.

He finished his own breakfast on autopilot as Rodney continued to feed his tribble. When it appeared the critter was sated, he put the syringe down and rubbed his eyes. 

"Let me get you something else to eat," John said quietly. 

"Thanks," Rodney said with a sigh. "I'm starving. And I've still got to massage her tummy to make sure everything's going in the right place."

While Rodney did that, John got him more coffee and loaded a plate with some fruit -- taking care to avoid the citrus -- and more bread. He knew there had been some donuts left over from the last Daedalus run (he'd been hiding them as a treat to himself) and added one of those too. Rodney gave him a grateful look and inhaled the food and drink.

"Elizabeth said you've got minus two weeks on that holography project," John said, after searching for something to say.

Rodney shrugged. "Radek's got it under control. It'll probably be in a bit over a week."

John blinked. "Wait a minute. You're not doing it?"

"No, why should I? It's Radek's baby. If he needs help he'll find me."

"Okay, this is definitely getting weird. Who are you and what have you done with Rodney McKay?" John was only half-joking; this new, laid-back Rodney was really beginning to freak him out.

"Oh, please. I don't see where-- Jeff!" Rodney broke off in mid-sentence to call to someone, who happened to be the same blond guy who had been head-to-head with Rodney from the night before. "Jeff Danziger, this is Colonel Sheppard."

John rose to take his hand. Danziger's grip was firm and dry and John hated him on sight. "We met briefly when I arrived, Colonel," he said. 

"Yeah, I remember." 

"Did you get any sleep last night, Rodney?" Danziger sat down next to Rodney and John sat as well, watching Danziger with narrowed eyes.

"Not really. But it's okay, I can get a nap today, nothing's cooking that I need to look after." 

Okay, now John was completely freaked. Maybe the tribble was doing some kind of mind control.

"I'd be glad to look after our little princess for you while you got some sleep, Rodney. Has she eaten this morning?"

"She did, just a few minutes ago, and promptly fell asleep again." They chuckled and Danziger put his head far too close to Rodney's to look into the pouch. 

"I've been doing some research on the Tasmanian wolf, you might be interested in some of the things I've found. Could you come by my cubby?"

"Great!" Rodney waved vaguely in John's direction as he left with Danziger, talking rapidly. 

John scowled down at the table for a while before standing and taking the trays back to the bussing station. Finding Teyla for a workout was sounding better and better -- he'd love to have something to take his frustrations out on.

* * *

Rodney's tribble -- as John came to call it no matter how many times Rodney corrected him -- grew rapidly. Within a week, it was twice as big as when it had been found and Rodney needed a new pouch. With size came curiosity; several times during senior staff meetings they'd be interrupted by a little golden head peeking out of Rodney's pouch and saying "meep!" Everyone at the table except John always laughed.

John would often find a crowd in the mess hall, playing with the thing. It wouldn't leave the pouch for more than a few moments and if it lost sight of Rodney, it would cry, so he didn't worry about it getting loose in the city. Yet. Even Teyla was enamored of the thing and was often with Rodney learning how to care for it. Danziger was always hanging around too, and John didn't want to spend too much time thinking about how angry -- jealous -- no, it was anger, definitely anger, anger was easy if incomprehensible -- that made him.

When John came by Elizabeth's office one afternoon to talk about a mission to an established trading partner and found that damn pouch hanging around _her_ neck, it was the last straw. He didn't say so, of course, because that would be unprofessional. And when he found himself thinking of ways for the animal to have a fatal accident, he resolutely turned his thoughts in a different direction. Then he went to find Teyla and let her beat him up.

Everyone seemed to have fallen under the spell of that damn animal, except him and Ronon, and Lorne too... though some of the Marines were almost more besotted than Rodney. Hearing six-foot-three, two hundred fifty pound, bald and scarred Washington cooing baby talk was something no one needed to hear. Ever. But it was the scientists, those who had to be reminded to do things like bathe and eat and sleep, who for the most part fell over themselves to take care of the tribble. It was unnerving and John still wondered if the thing had some kind of mind control abilities.

It wasn't quite two weeks later that Zelenka finished the interface with Ancient holography technology. They had a demonstration in the staff meeting of Rodney projecting himself walking to the table and sitting on a chair. Elizabeth had the stupid tribble with her, and when it heard Rodney's voice, it hopped out of the pouch and walked across the table to where Rodney appeared to be sitting, meeping all the way. When it got to the edge of the table it stopped, cocked its head and sat, studying Rodney's projection but not trying to get closer.

"Look at that, she knows I'm not really here!" Rodney exclaimed. He held out one (holographic) hand and the tribble leaned forward then back, tilting its head in the other direction. "She must be scenting me or something. That's incredible!"

"I'd say that's pretty good proof that the hologram looks real," Elizabeth said with a laugh. "C'mere, Na'ansii, daddy will really be here shortly."

John rolled his eyes but said nothing. The test was deemed a success and a mission back to P9Y-GM7 was planned. They would have to take a jumper and cloak it the moment they were through the 'gate, then use its power to project Teyla's image to the primitives who lived there. John made sure to comment that the tribble would _not_ be welcome on the mission, though he wanted Rodney there to make sure everything went as planned with the new technology. 

Rodney frowned at him. "I'm sure Jeff would be glad to look after Na'ansii while we're gone. You don't have to worry about that, Colonel." Then he collected his pouch and left with everyone except Elizabeth, who pinned John down on his seat with a glare.

"John..."

"I'm just making sure my team knows the rules!" John said, suddenly angry. "Is everybody in Atlantis suddenly tribble-happy? I swear that's not really McKay, Elizabeth, he hasn't bit anyone's head off or even lost his temper for more than a week!"

"And that's a _bad_ thing?" 

"No! But -- It's not --"

"Colonel."

John took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll go talk to him."

After a moment, Elizabeth said, "That's not what I was going to say, but I'll take it. You owe him an apology, I think."

Unwilling to speak, John just got up and left, still stewing. 

He took a long time to check everything for the mission the next day, making sure the holography equipment was properly installed in Jumper One and testing the power drain. He spent more time than was absolutely necessary, in fact, but wanted to give himself a chance to examine his feelings. When that didn't work, he just stopped and headed to the mess hall, resigned to another episode of Stupid Pet Tricks.

Only by the time he got there, the mess hall was pretty much empty. He wasted enough time futzing with the Jumper that he'd missed dinner altogether. He put a sandwich together and took it to the balcony just off the mess hall, sitting on one of the chairs they'd moved out there, watching the waves, thinking about Rodney. 

Most of the time, he didn't even _like_ the guy. By his own admission, Rodney was arrogant, self-centered, violently opinionated, and a genius who could pretty much do anything. Who _had_ pretty much done everything John or Elizabeth had ever asked of him. Not that he didn't complain about it, but the guy got things done. He wasn't even that attractive, though he'd lost some weight and gained some muscle since coming to Atlantis. His face was too round and his mouth too thin and it drooped on the left side. His eyes were nice, though. In fact, he'd seen guys far less attractive than Rodney and it wasn't like he'd pitch the guy out of bed for eating... crackers...

John had been leaning back on the chair, pushing with his legs against the rail of the balcony, and when he realized what he was thinking, he dropped the chair back with a thump. Oh, no. John put his head in his hands. He was so, so fucked.

* * *

He didn't visit Rodney that night. He had intended to but chickened out at the last minute. The deal breaker was seeing that Danziger guy walk into Rodney's room well after dark, looking utterly infatuated. Yeah, he'd known McKay was bi, hell, most of the science staff was bi or gay and he didn't care, it wasn't his problem. Only it turned out he was wrong and it was his problem. Goddammit. He didn't even _like_ Rodney!

He spent a mostly sleepless night and by the morning, was crabby and frustrated. He didn't even get to growl at McKay for being late because the guy was in the jumper before him. Without the stupid tribble.

Teyla was late, a first, but he couldn't very well snarl at her. So he settled for short answers and got them going immediately.

The mission was a rousing success. Teyla projected her image to the natives and they found that the Genii had indeed been there, had indeed armed the primitives, but then the primitives (in a remarkable display of common sense) turned around and chased them right off the planet again. They had attacked earlier because they thought the Atlantis team was Genii. And they were still a bit nervous around John and the crew, but by the end of the day, John's team had a treaty; medicines and an IDC for evacuation against the Wraith in return for permission to hunt, hunting guides and a good chunk of farmland. They even invited John's team to eat with them, which Teyla said was a singular honor. John took obscure pleasure in finding out that Cowan had not been invited to do the same.

The only bad note came, of course, from McKay. After lunch, he'd been wandering around with his HUD and tablet, making sure there was nothing of other interest on the planet for them. John found him frozen in place in front of a building which served as a trading post, of sorts. Prominently displayed was a pelt of golden fur shot with black stripes and spots. It looked like the tribble but was a hell of a lot larger. 

"Wow, is that how big those things get?" John muttered, half to himself. 

Ronon and Teyla were right behind him. "Yes," Teyla said, "I have seen even bigger pelts than that before."

"That's big." Ronon never minced words. "Can they be trained?" Rodney turned and gave Ronon a horrified stare. "I mean, they're probably not good eating," Ronon continued, "and the fur is nice, but if they can be trained to hunt..." 

"Trained to hunt for a human?" Teyla asked, looking intrigued.

"I had a lossa when I was young. We'd go hunting together."

"What's a lossa?" Rodney asked, obviously interested despite himself. John noticed he immediately put his back to the pelt.

"About that big. Black. Six legs." Ronon nodded. "It was fun. Of course, you had to make sure it knew you weren't food."

John rolled his eyes and sighed. Yeah. 

"I shall ask Jeff what he thinks," Teyla said. "It may be possible." She smiled at Rodney. "It might mean you would not have to give her up when she reaches adulthood."

John frowned, he might have something to say about that idea. Then her words sunk in. "Jeff?"

Teyla blushed. Teyla _blushed_. Teyla _never_ blushed. "Yes. He has been most, um, helpful."

Rodney laughed and slapped Teyla's shoulder with the back of his hand. "And I think he has intentions on being more helpful tonight, after we get back," he said through chuckles.

"Dr. McKay." Teyla was _blushing_. If John hadn't been so blown away by what she was implying, he would have wanted pictures.

"Teyla." She turned to him with a smile. "You're... you're seeing that Danziger guy?" John looked between Rodney and Teyla. Ronon gave him a puzzled stare.

"Yes," Teyla said. "We have grown very close." Rodney opened his mouth but shut it again at her glare. It didn't keep the shit-eating grin off his face, though.

Teyla was seeing Danziger. _Teyla_ was. Not Rodney. John wasn't sure if it was elation or terror he felt in his stomach. "Okay, come on, we need to get back, I guess," he finally said, leading the way back to the jumper.

Elizabeth was very pleased with their progress and immediately formed a detail to take the medicinal supplies through the 'gate and then to hunt for fresh meat. When she set it up, Rodney raised a finger and opened his mouth -- he had a stricken look on his face -- but she headed him off at the pass. "Don't worry, Rodney, they know to avoid the lesser genets." At his evident relief, she smiled. "I like her too. There's plenty of other game, and now that Teyla has set up hunting guides, we'll be sure to get the right kind."

That was pretty much it for the debriefing and John suddenly realized he was done. He went to his office and riffled through the piles of work -- security and detail rotation, disputes, manpower lists, and the latest intel from other teams -- but his heart wasn't in it. Not that his heart was ever really in it.

They'd eaten on the planet so he wasn't hungry, but he went to the mess hall anyway, to see if anyone was there. Rodney wasn't there.

After pacing up and down the hall for a good fifteen minutes, John finally screwed up his courage and knocked on McKay's door. 

"Just a minute." When Rodney opened the door he was flushed and grinning and the tribble was trying to climb his leg. "Ow, Na'ansii, stop that. Hi, Colonel. What can I do for you?" He bent and pulled the creature from his leg and she promptly climbed to his shoulder and tried to get on his head. Her tail was lashing and she kept trying to gnaw on his ear. "It's playtime, I guess. She missed me. Sorry."

"That's okay... I don't... Um." John took a breath. "Can I come in?"

The last one of them to ask that question had been Rodney, and John's response had been no. It was pretty clear from Rodney's face that he was remembering that time, but after a moment, he stepped back. "Sure."

"Thanks." John hadn't been in Rodney's new quarters since he'd moved, which they all had once a bigger part of the city had been opened and explored. They'd all brought things from home once they could get home -- John had already used his best skateboard out on the east pier where the concrete lumps made perfect moguls -- and Rodney's suite was filled with... things. Computers, of course, that didn't surprise him. But there were models of ships there as well, from a lunar lander to what looked like Battlestar Galactica fighter. There were also three different telescopes, a beautiful orrery, books (no surprise there) everywhere and a large chunk of engine was partially covered by a tarp in the corner. Plus, of course, there were oddly colored little toys scattered everywhere, obviously for the tribble.

"Na'ansii doesn't clean up after herself very well," Rodney said. He plopped on his bed and the tribble jumped down and began stalking his fingers. "Sorry for the mess."

John sat at the desk and watched Rodney play with his pet. She picked up a small wooden branch in her mouth and was playing tug-o-war with it, her little squeaking growls almost comical. "S'okay. Um. So listen. I think I owe you an apology."

Rodney wouldn't look at him. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." So he wasn't going to make it easy; John suspected he deserved that. "I've been kind of on your case about the tribble, and, well..."

"She's not a tribble." John drew a breath to acknowledge that but Rodney kept talking. "She doesn't purr." He looked up at John. "Remember? Tribbles purred."

"Yeah, that's right," John said, nodding his head. "I forgot that."

"And they liked Mr. Spock."

"Well who wouldn't."

"McCoy didn't."

"He did so. He just didn't like to admit it." They smiled at each other and John felt a little of the strain they'd been in over the last month ease. He drew in a breath to speak but again, Rodney beat him to it.

"You're being stalked." John looked down and realized the tribble was off the bed and was approaching his left foot with stealthy care. "She's just figuring out how to hunt, it's pretty funny."

With a butt-wiggle, Na'ansii pounced his boot and began to wrestle it into submission. Rodney was right, it was pretty funny, and John found himself grinning. "I guess maybe I should just surrender to her superior firepower." With another jumping pounce, Na'ansii got halfway up his leg and John found himself glad he still wore BDUs as she drove pitons up his mountain-leg. "What are you doing, tribble?" he asked as she made it to his lap. She looked up into his face, cocked her head and sat down. Tentatively, he stroked her head and she rubbed her face against his fingers. "I didn't think she liked me." 

"She's always liked you," Rodney said with a sigh. "You just weren't paying attention."

John sighed too. "No, I guess I wasn't." He looked into Rodney's face. "I haven't been paying a lot of attention to anything, lately."

Rodney took a deep breath and blew it out. "It's okay. It is," he insisted when John would have spoken. "You were right. I have a long way to go to... to prove that I can be trusted. But you need to know... I've always trusted you, Colonel."

It was too painful and John wished for their easy camaraderie back, when they could tease each other, laugh with each other, flirt... John blinked. Flirt? Did they really used to...?

"There she goes. Out like a light." John looked down into his lap and sure enough, Na'ansii was curled up, sound asleep. "She's been sleeping longer and longer now that she's bigger. She's a lot like a kitten in that way -- run, run, run, run, crash. Let me get her into the pouch."

John put his hand gently on Na'ansii's back and felt her soft, velvety fur and her warm body. She was much bigger than she had been, about the size of a smallish cat, but having seen the pelt of an adult, John knew she had a long way to go. She was awfully cute, he had to admit. The way she'd pounced on his boot was really adorable.

"Here." Rodney was bending over him, the pouch open, and John gently scooped Na'ansii up and placed her inside. She half-woke and gave them a sleepy 'meep' before curling into a tighter ball and falling back asleep. Rodney straightened and John stood up so that they were very close, only the pouch and Na'ansii between them. Rodney looked both happy and sad and John took his resolve in both fists, leaned in and kissed Rodney.

It wasn't much of a kiss, just a quick peck, but it was enough to freeze them both in place. Rodney's eyes were huge and after a moment, he licked his lips and began to lean in closer. A soft 'meep!' from the bag he held stopped him and he smiled, ruefully. "Just... just hold that thought," he murmured. He turned and settled Na'ansii in a little box next to his bed, then turned back around. "What...?"

"You're not seeing Danziger," John said, looking at Rodney's mouth. "I'm really glad about that."

"Not seeing...?" 

Rodney was completely confused and John decided to keep him that way. So he leaned in, took Rodney's head in his hands and kissed him again, this time making it thorough. Rodney's mouth was sweet and warm and tasted really, really good. It had been a long time since John had kissed another guy, and he'd almost forgotten about the pleasures of it; a man's stubble brushing his own, a man's scent behind the warmth of lips and tongue. When Rodney's hands came up to pull him closer, there was a man's strength holding on to his t-shirt in a grip that was almost enough for it to rip.

John ended the kiss slowly, feeling about as shell-shocked as Rodney apparently was. When he opened his eyes, Rodney's were still closed and he was barely breathing. "Oh." He took in a big breath and opened his eyes which were gratifyingly dazed. "What... what was...?"

"I guess I just realized a few things," John murmured. He let one of his hands fall to Rodney's side, pulling their bodies closer together. 

Rodney smiled, tentatively, cautiously. "Realized?"

"Yeah. Like how much I miss being around you." John leaned in and kissed his way along Rodney's jaw to his neck. "How much I miss talking to you, flirting with you."

"Flirting?" Rodney gasped as John nipped at the soft skin under his ear.

"Uh-huh. I'm sorry I wasn't paying enough attention," John whispered. Rodney's skin was warm and salty. "I promise I'll pay attention in the future."

"And I promise to... to... oh, Christ." 

That was about the extent of conversation for the next hour, aside from some expletives and heartfelt invocations of various deities. Rodney was as enthusiastic a lover as he was a scientist -- pushy, demanding, loud, enthusiastic and skilled beyond what John could have ever expected. John was quite certain he'd never had a blowjob that good in his life, and when the issue of anal sex arose, Rodney didn't even let him think, much less object. So there was another virginity happily lost. 

Once they were done, once they were sticky and sated and Rodney draped over him, snoring gently into his neck, John studied the ceiling over Rodney's bed and wondered how the guy had gotten those cheesy glow-in-the-dark stars up there. He knew he was grinning ear to ear, and the only question he had was how soon would he be able to do that again. Well, that, and why the hell hadn't he done it a year ago.

A soft meep made Rodney start awake. His head came up and his eyes met John's. Whatever he found in John's expression must have reassured him, because his initial wariness faded into a smile as big as John's. They looked at each other in silence for a long time before John felt a warm, furry lump bump into his shoulder.

"Na'ansii," Rodney whined. "You've got lousy timing."

"No, she doesn't," John said. He pulled Rodney's head down for another kiss and reflected on how good a kisser Rodney was. 

When they broke, Na'ansii shoved her head between them, meeping quite happily, as if she were glad they were together. John meeped back, then kissed Rodney again.

* * *

Epilogue:

P9Y-GM7 (Garya, Teyla was trying to get them to remember and use the proper name) had five small moons and an absolutely beautiful night sky. Rodney and John had taken three days off and brought Na'ansii home to give her a chance to become familiar with it again. At four months, she was nearly forty pounds and about the size of a collie -- she wouldn't be able to stay in Atlantis for much longer. Her 'playtime' had become more than a little hazardous. Jeff Danziger figured she was about half-grown, after doing a thorough recon of the planet and realizing that the pelts mostly came from 'greater' genets, a related species that was quite a bit larger. 

They'd found a sheltered glen less than a mile from the stargate and had pitched their tent. Na'ansii was still unwilling to go very far away from them, but they encouraged her to hunt and explore, while keeping sidearms handy just in case. She'd surprised them by bringing them a gift of a dead... thing... (it looked a bit like a large rabbit) shortly after they'd made camp. John had laughed but Rodney was very squeamish about the whole thing.

On the planet, away from prying eyes, they could be together how they'd like to be. John had his back to a convenient log and Rodney was lying next to him, his head in John's lap. "Better stars here than in your quarters," John drawled.

"Oh, yeah." 

Na'ansii came padding silently to them and with a gusty sigh, dropped down next to John. Her wide golden eyes were the soul of innocence even as they begged for a head scratch, her favorite thing. John chuckled but obliged and she closed her eyes in happiness. "You're as bad as your 'daddy' is," John murmured.

"Except I don't like having my head skritched."

"No, you like other things scratched."

"Or rubbed."

"That too."

The last of the sunlight faded. The fire before them was bright and lit their little glen with a warm radiance and it was John's turn to sigh, at least as happy as Na'ansii. The Wraith, Atlantis, all the worries of his station receded and he let himself just _be_ , appreciating what he had and not anticipating anything, tried to live just as Na'ansii did. It wouldn't last, of course, but it was good while it did.

In the darkness beyond their camp, they heard the scream of a cat, a big cat, probably three times -- or more -- Na'ansii's size. Her head came up and she stared into the darkness, seeing far more than they did. 

Rodney lifted his head and looked at her. "What is it?"

"One of the relatives, I think."

"Should we...?"

"I think we're okay. She's not showing any real interest. She's still a baby."

"Not for much longer," Rodney said sadly. He put his head down again and John stroked his cheek.

"No. But she'll always be our friend, I think." John remembered what Danziger had said about Na'ansii's intelligence. He'd thought she would always remember and recognize them, and John suspected that much as well. She was a smart little tribble, he had to give her that.

"Yeah. I think so too." Na'ansii turned back to them and rested her chin on John's knee with a sigh. "It'll make it easier to say goodbye, don't you think?" Rodney asked, his voice suspiciously thick.

John smiled, holding his little family to himself, hard against the greater darkness he knew was coming. "I hope so," was all he said.


End file.
